CEO By 30: B-School Was The Key For These Young Professionals

Emilia

Emilia Malmi earned a master’s degree in finance from Aalto University School of Business in Espoo, Finland, in 2017. She took a job in investment banking for Nordea, the largest financial services group in the Nordic region, right out of school; after about three years, she joined Bob W, which rents out short-stay apartments as a smarter and more sustainable alternative to hotels and other rentals.

Malmi started at Bob W as associate director of real estate in October 2020; just nine months later, at the age of 28, she was promoted to CEO.

“I applied to Aalto because of its good reputation, the location of the campus, and the good exchange study opportunities,” Malmi tells P&Q. “I was fully committed into getting into Aalto and did not apply to other schools. I wouldn’t say it changed the course of my career, but I rather believe the degree opened up my initial career opportunities, mainly an entry-level position in investment banking.”

Q&A with Emilia Malmi, master in finance graduate of Aalto University School of Business

Why did you decide to get a masters of finance, and why did you choose the school you ultimately decided to attend? What schools besides Aalto did you apply to?

I applied to study finance already in my bachelor’s degree, as I found it the most interesting subject based on the introductory course. I had always enjoyed math, and liked how the course work was often in the form of case studies. I also had the perception that the finance industry has many different career opportunities and that finance opens doors to a variety of other possibilities as well.

Continuing to pursue the master’s of finance at Aalto was an easy decision since I had really enjoyed the bachelor’s studies and already experienced also the career opportunities it could open through my first internships.

Where do you think you would be right now if you had NOT gotten the degree?

The best part of a finance degree is that although there are certain career paths that are more common than others for finance graduates, I still think it is a useful degree for anyone in the business world, from entrepreneurs to employees of large corporates. Finance is always part of decision making and running any business.

The finance degree definitely equipped me with a great general, theoretical basis to take and apply in daily work. One of the main takeaways from studies was however the people, and I have both life-long friends as well as a vast network of contacts which have been originated during the studies.

Have you ever encountered someone telling you that you are:

  • Too young to go to graduate business school?

No, in Finland it’s common to do a masters right after the undergraduate/bachelor’s degree.

  • Too young to be operations director?

No. I started off at Bob W in a different role, part of the real estate team, and was able to prove my capabilities within the company as well as voice my own future interest towards operations before being promoted to my current position. Quite the opposite actually, everyone has been extremely supportive.

What is your message to others who might be in a similar situation as yours?

Trust your gut and don’t stress too much about what you should be doing or what will lead to a certain outcome. Things do tend to sort themself out, usually unexpectedly, so always keep an open mind. Work hard, stay humble, but definitely don’t sell yourself short.

Where do you think you will be in three, four, five years, and are you interested in getting another graduate degree?

The story of Bob W has only started, so I can definitely see myself growing together with the company during the next couple of years.

Currently I am enjoying being part of building a young company and very hands-on in daily operations, so for now I don’t see myself jumping back to a more theoretical environment to pursue another degree.

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